Photo Corner

We’ve all shot impala, right? Whether at the zoo or in the field, their giant ears, Cleopatra-like eyes, long triangular faces and attractive coloring make them irresistible. I shot this small herd in the Sabi Sabi Private Game Preserve (on the edge of Kruger National Park) while on Austin-Lehman Adventures’ South Africa trip last year – and the antelope alone in the acacias a half dozen years before in Kenya.

It will sound odd, but I’m always reminded of my times photographing butterflies with a macro lens when I’m glassing an antelope and composing the scene. Their similarity of habit is remarkable – momentary, almost absolute stillness, lulling you into taking those dangerous extra seconds just to look at these beautiful creatures before taking your shot – then WHOOSH, they’re gone. That’s what happened with the butterfly below (taken on ALA’s Costa Rica adventure trip in the butterfly house we visited). Had I waited a split second longer I’d have missed the shot!

The thrill of catching that first good snap of an animal or insect is palpable, and in truth I never tire of shooting the same things. But that same level of satisfaction does not extend to the resulting photographs. That is, after a while my shots of these immobile lovelies begin looking the same, even after altering the angle, the composition, the background colors and lighting – all the many variations we all make to a subject when we’re striving for a novel look or feel. What’s left to capture?

Ah – in my opinion this is one of the most creative moments in photography, the instant not of executing the photograph (usually an easy enough thing to do) but the more difficult job of deciding what it is that you want to capture long before the camera is in your hand. Most of us travel photographers (you and me – everyone who travels and takes a picture now and again) never even consider this question until the moment is upon us, until the antelope are staring back or the butterfly lights on a flower nearby. This is understandable. Without really thinking about it we buy a camera before a trip, toss it into our pack, and when something looks interesting we take a snap. We’ve recorded what we see. The trip is our subject and we’ve just preserved a bit of it for ourselves and for others back home. There’s not a thing wrong with that. Not a thing – until you notice that all your pictures are looking somewhat the same.

That’s when you begin doing what I listed above – changing compositions, backgrounds, colors, lighting…. If you still are feeling that you’re missing something, maybe it’s time to work at putting motion into your shots. It’s not a static world out there, after all – especially if what you’re trying to record is an adventure tour.

Now, there are a number of ways to put motion into photographs, and due to space considerations I’ll discuss just one at present – pan-blurs. But I’ll mention the easiest of all before we get to panning – that of just keeping your camera still when the antelope or butterfly races off, but tripping the shutter as it does. The results most often aren’t worth keeping, and if you were (or still are) shooting film you’d hesitate at the waste. But if it’s only pixels you’re burning, why not?

Here’s a butterfly (also taken in the Costa Rica butterfly house) that fluttered past my lens while I was standing still, camera to my eye and trained on a leaf where I’d seen two others light for few seconds. I was hoping for a third, and was pre-focused and composed. Then, suddenly, this fellow comes fluttering past. He – or rather, she, as I soon discovered – was headed to the curled frond at the very bottom of the photo. As I watched, amazed, she laid an egg! I had snapped as she descended, holding the camera as still as I could (notice that some of the leaves are in focus). What I love about this lucky snap is that we get to see what the human eye cannot – the fast-beating colorful wings and those delicate legs, poised for a landing like a NASA moon rover descending to the surface. I didn’t get the shot I was after, another immobile, in-focus snap that would have looked much like the others I’d already taken. But I did get something just as interesting as those which let us count the hairs on a butterfly’s back.

So that’s one way to put motion into your photos – holding very still, pre-focused on a spot (or on the creature itself) and snapping as the action of entrance to the scene or exit from it occurs. This, of course, requires a quick trigger finger and luck, but if it was too easy it wouldn’t be any fun.

Pan-blurs, in comparison, are far more fun, for instead of just standing still and tripping a shutter you are going to swing your lens with your subject as it passes. How clearly and cleanly you smear the background colors across your resulting photograph – while keeping your main subject in focus – depends upon how fast and how smoothly you make that swing and what shutter speed you’ve chosen (Pan-blurs can be taken even with point-and-shoots which don’t allow you to change your shutter speed, though you will of course sacrifice that element of creativity). Faster shutter speeds will put the moving subject into greater focus, and blur the background less. Slower shutter speeds will reduce the focus of both, giving your “canvas” a more impressionistic look. Here are two examples from the cross-Iowa Ragbrai ride, attended that year by a mere 8500 or so riders. What a lotta lycra to photograph!

In the first shot, the cool-looking blue-shoed, red-jerseyed cyclist’s face, arms, and hands are in near-perfect focus, while everything else in the picture says exactly what I was seeing as I shot it – action. My shutter setting was 1/100th, and I obviously lucked into a nice, even swing of the zoom-telephoto lens I was using (Note: Some internally stabilized lenses have a special setting to help steady your lens as you pivot with the subject). Though one can “pan” (rotate) with any moving object (cars, horses, joggers…), I prefer bikers because of the feet, spokes, and tires which are moving at different speeds and directions from the cyclist, resulting in blurs all their own.

In contrast, the second biker has not a single in-focus point anywhere in the picture. I snapped this rider at a 1/60th shutter speed, but when shooting pan-blurs the speed of the subject is as determinative of the result as is your shutter setting. Part of the fun of pan-blurs is that you don’t know what you’ve captured until you look at the picture on your computer screen, for even the largest of back-of-the-camera screens are too small to provide the necessary overall view. Practice will of course give you a better guess at what you’ve shot, but if you’re after a mix of pan-blur effects you should employ multiple shutter settings and alter the speed of your pivot.

As you can see in the shots, the background of a pan-blur is of great importance. Trees, a picket fence, a row of tall bushes or a high cornfield, all will be interesting when blurred. Other riders are an especially good background, and if they’re in different colors and riding at somewhat different speeds you’re doubly blessed. Choose your background, decide upon the spot where you’ll trip the shutter as your moving subject comes along, and focus for that spot. Pre-set your exposure (both shutter and aperture) for the lighting conditions, or choose shutter-priority alone (as I prefer, thereby letting the camera select the aperture according to the lighting present when your subject appears). Plant your feet firmly and practice the swinging motion, rotating just your upper torso as you do.

Another option is to use auto-focus, so that you can shoot before or after your pre-determined spot if things look good to your eye. And don’t stop your panning action after you’ve clicked the shutter, especially if you’re shooting at 1/30th of a second or slower. Sticking with that long, smooth glide of the lens will increase your chances of getting what you want.

Your best pan-blurs will probably be those you get when planning ahead, as I’ve done on adventure tours when pedaling hard for a minute to break from my fellow riders, then jumping off my bike at what looks to be a good location and hurriedly setting up before the others pass. But this is a technique that can be employed on the fly with a momentarily still subject as well, if you’re ready for it.

Take your best still shot of whatever it is that you’re expecting to bolt (like that antelope herd above), then quickly change your shutter speed to something slow enough to blur the background, and wait for them to speed off. Their pretty heads and erect ears will be in focus, while their flying hooves and taut leg muscles – as well as the grass and trees in view – will show the motion you’re wanting to pan.

n future Photo Corners we’ll discuss other ways to put action into pictures. Until then, enjoy perfecting your panning technique!

Photo Corner

It isn’t a large canvas, the human face, but even with the same number of component parts (two eyes, a nose, one mouth…) the result is limitless variation. Arguably the first thing we remember seeing in life, and the most memorable element of everyone we meet throughout our years, it should not be surprising that some photographers choose to shoot faces exclusively.

Old-time photo equipment required lengthy exposures, often in studios, to obtain high-quality portraits. Thankfully, since the days of Kodak, candid portraiture – the capturing of a face quickly, or even on the sly, or after a verbal request along a hiking trail high in Peru’s Andes Mountains (as in the photo above) – has been a fun and comparatively effortless pursuit of almost all us travel photographers (that’s you and me and almost everyone these days) who wish to return home with the memorable faces they encountered on a trip.

I’ve looked at hundreds of these faces shot by guests over the years when they’ve emailed me their images. While most shots perform the function of having recorded the face that they remember, time and again I’ve heard from them some dissatisfaction with the results. There’s general discontent at their photos do not provide what they remembered. They complain that the faces are in focus but they just aren’t as arresting as they felt it to be when they took the shot.

Almost always when I’ve heard this and looked again at their shots I’ve written back that in my opinion (and I hurry to add that it’s just the personal opinion of a fellow snapper) the faces lack the power and immediate fascination lent them by one simple quality – proximity.

It’s probably happened to you. You’ve seen a remarkable mug on a human or animal. You take a shot. Yet when you look at the picture you’ve snapped you find you’ve lost what attracted you in the first place – the feeling of connection that comes when you’re up close, when every line by the eyes tells you of decades spent smiling – as with the gentleman above who kindly stopped for me on a sidewalk in the old Incan capital city of Cuzco, Peru. The full-size photo on my computer screen lets me see those smile/squint-against-the-sun lines individually, just as I remember them. The strong, hawk-like nose is prominent, and each curling white beard hair stands out against the man’s brown-skinned chin. All this with just a shutter click.

Are you as happy with your people pictures? If not, chances are good that the reason isn’t the difference in our cameras – at least not in these two instances, for both snaps above were taken with a wide-angle lens similar in focal length to that of many point-and-shoots. The difference is very likely the human, good-hearted tendency not to be in a stranger’s face with your lens when trying to take a shot.

How do I avoid antagonizing strangers and still get a powerful close-up? There are two techniques that I employ, the first of which is to move farther away physically and let my zoom telephoto lens get close instead. Here’s an example:

I used my favorite “long” lens, an expensive and weighty 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom, to frame this good face from many paces away before he saw me, for I wanted to be ready to catch that first (and usually the best, most natural-looking) smile. We’d completed a tough hike through the Andes an hour or more before this shot. After being restored with coffee and cakes, this man had taken a chair on the lodge lawn to enjoy his pipe and the views down the Salkantay Valley to the high mountains beyond.

When I first noticed him outside and threw up my camera to pull him into view, I immediately liked the paralleling diagonals of the back of the wood chair, the pipe stem, and the front of the blue shirt. I tried to hold these in place as I stepped carefully forward, hoping I wouldn’t fall into a hole or bump into a wandering llama. All would have been ruined if the good guy had, justifiably, turned toward me with a frown for bothering him when he was trying to relax. But this was several days into the trip, and by then I usually have a good feel for my quarry. I doubt I’d be as nice with me around all the time, but very few of you over the years have responded with rocks. Thanks.

Choosing Your Focus and Depth of Field
Okay, let me add just another note or two about this picture, before I get back to shooting faces with point-and-shoots (or an equivalent wide-angle lens on a larger camera body). Notice that the background is completely blurred, allowing our eye to pick up the details of face, hair, pipe, glasses, and hand very easily. This was a conscious decision on my part before I began my approach. After shooting for a while, learning photography basics, and really looking at your pictures (at the ones you like and peering even harder at the ones you don’t, and then asking yourself why you feel the way you do about them), you will learn how to “paint” into photos the effects you like and avoid the ones you don’t. It’s a delight.

So, having already decided, before I took the shot, to “drop out” the background (make it a complete blur) I focused precisely on the face, or rather on that exact part of the face that must be in focus to look “right” to the viewer. That part is, of course, the eyes. If it’s impossible to get both eyes in focus, and it often is when shooting with a long telephoto, it usually looks more natural to have in focus the eye that’s closer to you. Try it both ways and you’ll see.

The sun was back behind the mountains, so my settings of 1/200 shutter speed at an ISO (film speed) of 400 allowed me to “open up” my lens completely – to its maximum aperture (lens opening) of f/2.8. As many of you already know, the wider the lens opening the less that is in focus in your shot. Had I wanted to put the background into focus I would have had to “sacrifice” shutter speed (that is, shoot at a slower shutter speed), so that I could move to a higher-number f/stop. The higher the f/stop number, the smaller the lens opening, and the greater your “depth of field” (that which is in focus) in the photo. These are inexact comparisons, but still helpful: think of f/2.8 as the size of the top of a juice glass; when in this position light pours through the lens to bathe your film or digital sensor. Think of the other end – the tiniest opening of your lens (f/32 on my zoom, f/22 on many lenses) – as the top of a pink eraser on a pencil.

Are you point-and-shoot photographers ready to scream? That is, if you haven’t already quit reading? Photography basics are terribly confusing when approached in this manner, and in another piece I’ll suggest a photo primer that does a wonderfully easy job of explaining the few photo basics that most of us find confusing at first. But I’ve added the little bit above because of the wide-ranging photography knowledge base of the guests I’ve met over the years on ALA trips. I don’t want to bore those who know more, nor drive away the less-informed through confusion. I hope you will forgive me and again for throwing something in which will seem elementary to some and obscure to others.

Photo Cropping Tips
I want to point out another compositional element in the shot of the pipe-smoker (who is an amazingly strong hiker, I should add), before we move on to the somewhat candid portrait of the smiling lady in the ball cap below (”somewhat” because she caught me aiming at her from afar, and sweetly smiled). Earlier, I mentioned the man’s hand. Can you guess why I included it in the photo? No, not “because it was there.” With the lens I was using I could have chosen not to have it in the picture, and with photo software (even some that is free on the web) one always has the choice these days to crop a shot as one wishes.

You’ll find the answer by looking again at the photo and keeping track of your eye movement. It’s natural for us to do with paintings and pictures of faces what we do in real life – look first into someone’s eyes. My own first glance, if I’m recalling it correctly, then moved to the man’s great smile, and next toward the top right corner. There it banked, like a ball on a pool table, following the curve of the head and diagonally along the line of the shirt and chair until it ran into – and was banked back north again – by the hand. The knuckles keep the eye from floating out of the picture. The fingers send one’s gaze back in the direction of the eyes, propelled by the long and graceful slight silver curve of the pipe stem.

Don’t believe me? Okay, block out his hand with your own, or a sheet of paper. It’s still a wonderful, natural smile, but to my eye it’s much less of a photo. It doesn’t “work.” Or at least it doesn’t work as well. For similar reasons, the first photo of the man in the red sweater works much better to my eye than does the second, the gentleman I shot in Cuzco. Why? Because of the almost perfect triangle formed by the top of the first man’s hat, elbows, and strong hands. Google up a quick picture of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and you’ll see that same eye-pleasing balance of a triangle. I won’t go into the details of the “Golden Ratio” or “Golden Rectangle” theories involved, primarily because I haven’t a clue about them. I remember, but only vaguely, hearing the terms in a high school or college art class, but I’ve got a lousy memory for such things anyway. My guess is that they’re involved.

But I do know just what you know, and that is when I like a photo or painting, and when I don’t. I can’t always figure out why until much later, often when I’m shooting. Or when I ask someone else. There’s nothing like a pair of fresh eyes when it comes to seeing something more (or less!) in a picture. This applies to liking something too – some element or effect or technique in a shot, but not being able to name it. So what? It makes discussing the point with someone else a bit easier, but not knowing that the pleasing meandering line (say, of a river) in a shot is generically referred to as a “Hogarth’s Curve” won’t keep you from capturing it in your photos. And people for centuries were liking the feel of paintings that employed the “Rule of Thirds” before anyone applied the term. We’ll run through a bunch of these in another Photo Corner, but in the meantime don’t let anyone high-hat you because you can’t put a name to a feeling. It’s feelings, our emotions, that produce the best pictures. Memorize every art book and photo manual in the world, but if you’ve got a dead eye and a pallid heart your shots will show it.

Ah – I got off subject, yet again. I was moving toward telling you why I don’t like the photo of the second man as much as the first. I crouched a bit when shooting him so that I could have the blue sky on either side, and I do like that pretty blue color.

But my eyes fly off the shot in each direction, right out of the sky and away from the subject, the man himself. If I’d had time to turn the camera vertically or grab another lens… but I didn’t. And if I crop this particular shot I end up with too small a file for my liking. Still, there is emotion present. And there is, of course, that wonderful fissured face, each line and ravine and gully hinting to those who look closely of the years and toil that created them. I love the face, but I only like the shot.

You’ve heard the line (from a song I think) – Smile, and the world smiles with you. Look at the lady in the ball cap (another hiker in Peru), and you’ll feel the truth in that line. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a single face to convey the emotion you’re looking for, be it the happiness of a trip with loved ones and new friends, or the pathos of war.

There’s so much more to say about shooting faces, and we can return to this subject if any of you wish to (and I hope you will). But at present I will only supply the second of the two techniques I employ to “avoid antagonizing strangers and still get a powerful close-up.” (Bet you thought I’d forgotten!) I’ve already discussed the use of long lenses, such as my favorite telephoto zoom for ’sniping’ from a distance, which allows me to compose my shot more carefully before I squeeze off. Again, these lenses are great for allowing you not to invade someone’s “personal space” – or some animal’s, as in this shot!

Use a long enough lens and after a while a person or animal will become bored with you:

…and will return to its natural pose and let you get the shot you want.

Photographing Strangers: How to Get a Good Close-Up
But if the distance is too great, or your telephoto not long enough, or if you’ve decided (as most people do for very good reasons) that adventure trips are about the adventure, not about photographing the adventure, and you’ve therefore brought along only a lightweight point-and-shoot, how do you get those close-ups?

The answer is that you don’t, at least in the case of a leopard. But with your own species it’s usually amazingly easy. Honest. I’ve been doing it for decades, and it even works when you’re abroad and don’t know the language, which for me unfortunately is everywhere that English isn’t spoken (I had years of Spanish and a couple of Vietnamese, but like math and science and full-time work, and, for that matter, marriage, it didn’t stick). Don’t think of photographing someone as something that you do to the other person, but instead as a joint effort. This will be conveyed in your face, in the honesty of your desire, and in your eagerness to capture something that you value. The results are often remarkable.

I’ve griped more than most about digital dust and the post-production time involved when shooting digitally. But I’m the first to admit that the ability to show someone the shot you took only a split second before is a fantastic tool for getting permission to take a second, more carefully composed photograph. You snap the first, you look at it, you show it to your ‘model’ (who usually will enjoy seeing him- or herself), and in words or at least demeanor reflect that you like the result but you’d really really like to do better if given a second chance. (Note: It’s slimy not to be genuine in this. And most people will know if you’re faking. If you don’t really like people you should consider shooting landscapes instead.)

Don’t think of the first shot as a throw-away, for it could be the only one you’re allowed. (I forgot to mention, I think, that you’ve of course asked permission before even the first snap, right?) A bus could pull up behind your model in the meantime and ruin the effect you were looking for. But that second shot is often a sweet one in close-up, join-me-in-this-pursuit face shooting, when a fellow human has joined in your effort to preserve what I remember most of all from the nearly fifty countries I’ve visited. Not the bustling cities, or tranquil countryside, nor even the lovely winding rivers or grandest mountains. What I remember most of all is mugs.

Two very fast additional tips: In Third World countries always carry coins. You can’t object to the poor taking advantage of one of the few opportunities they have of obtaining some change. Even if I pay for the privilege, I still work hard to engage the person in the communal effort. I get far better photos as a result – and we both have a whole lot more fun.

And the second tip: Don’t be brokenhearted and give up photography or the delight of shooting faces if you’re turned down now and again when you beg for a shot. If you sincerely want the photo your desire will come across, and most often – with humans anyway – they’ll say yes. With animals you’re sometimes out of luck.

Photo Corner

Welcome to Austin-Lehman Adventure’s new Photo Corner – an on-line gathering place for all of us who love that happy intersection of fun photography and great travel. Here you’ll be able to pick up tips on how to take better trip photos, share some of your own tips with the rest of us, and learn which cameras and lenses will allow you to take close-ups of Costa Rica’s wildly colored red-eyed tree frogs:

or wide shots of a fellow ALA hiker enjoying Peru’s Machu Picchu:

or how to fill the frame with an elephant on the South Africa trip, without running the risk of having a ‘close encounter’ of the pachyderm kind:

Is this a place only for photo aficionados with expensive gear? No – perish the thought. When invited to write a piece for the newsletter and create a photo spot on the ALA website I thought immediately of the fact that the vast majority of you have the good sense to pack only a lightweight point-and-shoot camera on tours. Much attention in these pages will be directed accordingly.

However, every now and then during the dozen years that I’ve been shooting trips for Dan and Paul I do run into a guest as burdened as myself with multiple lenses and camera bodies, lagging behind the group waiting for some blasted butterfly to light on a flower or an elk to turn its head. You poor souls too must be included in the conversation:

[It's mean of me to add this picture, especially since I didn't even take it while on tour. But I couldn't help it!]

Besides, many topics – like rules of composition (and when to enjoy breaking them!), avoiding camera shake, light metering, choosing your subject, protecting your gear, on-screen enhancements, and many more – are relevant to everyone who uses a camera. Other topics, like dealing with dreaded digital dust, or how Adobe Lightroom compares to Photoshop, or selective focus and putting to use the wonderful compression effect of telescopic lenses while on an adventure tour, run the risk of boring point-and-shoot photographers to tears. We’ll keep those topics to a minimum, unless through your responses I hear that you’d like to see more along these lines.
Most of all, I’d like Photo Corner to be fifty percent informational, and a hundred percent fun. Even my math-challenged brain knows that adds up to 150%, a seeming impossibility. But over-the-brim enjoyment is exactly what I’ve found time and again – and what you’ll see pictures of right here in the future – when shooting a chilly Rockies dawn on the Montana trip (while the rest of the country is sweltering!), or the warm smiles on a family tour anytime.

Happy snapping,
Dennis

Thanks to those of you that left questions for us on the blog! We definitely enjoyed answering them. You’ll find Carmin’s answers to the most recent round of questions below:

Q: Chance asks, “What does impala steak taste like? Is it really lean or is there some fat? Is it similar to venison?”

A: Carmin answers, “Impala steak is firm but tender. Our very kind guide did suggest that we order it medium to rare as it can get tough if over cooked. The meat has a very mild game flavor but nothing quite as strong as venison.”

Q: Amanda asks, “Do you have any books that you or Carmin can recommend so that I can learn more about this amazing place?”

A: Carmin answers, “There are so many fabulous books on South Africa and it all depends on where your interests lie. A good choice for insight into South Africa’s political and cultural past is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and also Tomorrow is Another Country: The Inside Story of South Africa’s Road to Change by Allister Sparks. For guidebooks, the Insight Guides are great. I like Bradt’s Southern African Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide and Ian Sinclair Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa.”

Q: Sherry asks, “I’m a little surprised about the driver pulling the land rover in front of the lions, forcing them to go around the obstruction. This seems the antithesis of ‘nature’ travel. Why not be satisfied with simply observing the animals in the wild, why inflict yourselves on them when they are hunting???”

A: Carmin says, “Sherry, if the lions were on the hunt, we would definitely not have moved in closer as it is imperative that we as spectators do not change or influence the animals’ behavior. These two male lions were, in fact, just on the move in search of the females and were using the road as the path of least resistance. It is also important to note that these lions are habituated to the safari vehicles and regularly walk right up to them and use the vehicles for shade on a hot day.”

Q: Jan says “That is so interesting about the leopards. It almost sounds like human hunters with the disembowling. How do they shave the fur? How old before they can defend against the hyenas? [...] Who would do battle with a male lion? A female lion? Another male lion?”

A: Carmin answers, “Leopards shave their prey with their teeth. They scrape the skin along their front teeth and then spit out the hair. Hyenas remain a threat to leopards as they constantly try to steal they prey – hyenas are scavengers after all. This is why leopards will hoist their prey into a tree but sometimes it falls out of the tree and the hyenas are waiting to snatch it up. Male lions fight for dominance of a territory but other animals have also been known to put up a fight in certain situations. I have seen rhino chase off lions as well as buffalo, it all depends on the situation and if the animals have strong numbers, they can and often will challenge a lion.”

Q: Georgia asks, “Have you tried a Swinging Safari Amarula Cream Cocktail yet??”

A: Carmin responds, “We did indeed enjoy Amarula on several occasions and we even saw several Marula trees but sadly no fruit at this time of year.”

Suffice it to say the weather was not cooperating yesterday. Cold, light rain kept shifting to mist and back again all morning. We bundled up in rain jackets or ponchos and headed out after coffee. Despite the cold, I felt warm and cozy; the movements and sounds of the land rover crunching over the ground kept putting me to sleep. Soon we made our first sighting of the morning: two huge elephants walking along the road. We drove along side them for a little while and watched them eat and meander. Next we came upon a group of four lionesses – three of which were lying in a group just like kittens. Not far from the lionesses we found the same male lions we’d followed the previous night. They were relaxing and looked so innocent. You could visibly see one’s eyes become little slits and his head bobbing on the verge of sleep. On our way back, we came upon another group of elephants. One of which was very old, probably around fifty, and the other was still young and learning from the older one, sort of like a mentoring situation. The number of folds in the skin and humps on the backs were markedly different between the two.

We came back a little early for breakfast and sat in the main lodge near the fire, which was especially nice after being somewhat chilled from the weather. Carmin and I downloaded and responded to email while we waited for breakfast. The banquet table had been laid out with plates, silverware, and a fruit basket at this point. A vervet monkey dashed into the lodge, hopped onto the banquet table, and snatched a couple of bananas. Carmin and I noticed too late to either chase him off or grab a camera (As I was writing this - no kidding - another monkey came and stole some of the lunch rolls! Wow)! Later one brought over her baby and sat perched atop the branch of a nearby tree, watching us. It was so cute and fascinated me.

After breakfast, Mike was nice enough to give us a great interview describing his job as a guide which should be debuting on the site pretty soon. Everyone went their own way for a few hours and reconvened at lunch. We sat discussing our South African itineraries, pouring over a map and making notes of our thoughts. I have no doubt that these trips will be a great deal of fun and I am already planning to come back with my family and Justin.

It was just about time for high tea when we were done with our meeting and not long before we head out for our final afternoon safari with Mike. It was obvious he and Jerry were on a mission as soon as we climbed into the vehicle. We stopped only once, very briefly, to watch three mongooses cross the road. Being close to the front of the land rover, I was able to see Mike anxiously biting his thumb nail. He stopped the vehicle and both he and Jerry jumped out, discussing droppings they noticed on the ground. Both were very quiet and communicated in the local tribal language (Shangaan) so we were unaware of just what was going on. The anticipation was killing me! Moments later and a brief trip down twisting dirt roads, Mike slowed and shouted “There! There!” all the while pointing and edging the vehicle forward. Then he exclaimed “Buffalo!” That was all we needed to hear. Raucous cheers erupted from inside the land rover. This was it – we had seen all of the Big 5.

As we edged nearer, Mike told us that the group members were female buffalo with their young. He also told us they’re quite dangerous – possibly the most dangerous of the Big 5 because, unlike elephants, they won’t simply trample you. They will absolutely gore you. He told us that he’d been charged by one in Botswana. He and his friend had to fire two shots into her just to bring her to the ground. After an autopsy had been preformed, they found that she was lactating and her baby had died, hence she was in a rage – Mike just so happened to be nearby.

He guessed (accurately) that the males would be nearby and hurriedly drove through brush and trees, bringing us face to face with a group of “bulls.” They are so massive and odd looking to me. We watched them for a while as they moved off into a thicket, peering out at us from their hiding place. Mike drove us back toward the females, which we watched for a while longer.

In jovial, triumphant spirits we left the buffalo to graze. Soon we came upon a female hyena that appeared to be hunting a group of male impala. This is unusual because she is at a disadvantage due to the number of kudu and the fact that they have horns. However, Mike said she appeared very hungry so may be willing to take the risk. The males bounded away and she noticed us. Normally the hyenas we’ve seen have been skittish of the land rover, but not this one. She pranced right up to the side of the vehicle where Dennis was snapping photos of her. She moved her head from side to side before bending to a crouch. I swore she was about to spring into the vehicle. She edged closer to my door and I became quite frightened. Jerry had a spotlight which he shined into her eyes causing her to flee. Yikes!

Further on we spotted a rhino trotting in the grass parallel to the road. He ran ahead of us then turned and began running toward us. I thought this would be the end for sure! As the rhino headed for us, Mike killed the vehicle engine and placed a hand on his rifle. Luckily the rhino changed his mind and turned (on a dime!) to head in a different direction. After he left, Mike told us it was a black rhino. Black rhinos are much more aggressive than white rhinos and can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Jerry, who sits atop a seat bolted to the hood of the vehicle, was surprised and a little scared. He confessed he’d only been calm because he thought it was a white rhino.

We drove onto a hill that rose high above the surrounding area. The air was chill and high wind whipped around us. It was pitch black at this point but far in the distance, many miles away, there was a string of lights pressed onto the horizon. It was the first sign of civilization, of a town, I’d seen in several days. To some this might seem annoying, and I admit it may otherwise have rubbed me the wrong way, but at that moment I felt a sense of happiness, of warmth, hope and gratefulness. I felt a sense of connectedness to both the world and to humanity, to the people in that little village that I’ll never meet and all those beyond it.

Dinner was a special event as it would be our last for the trip and in South Africa. I think all four of us had impala steak for the same reason – who knows when or if we’ll ever have it again? It was delicious as was the dessert.

Today is our final day here. A small, chartered plane will take us from the Sabi Sabi landing strip to Johannesburg International Airport and we’ll go our respective ways - I to New York and the others connecting through DC to their respective homes (Carmin in Seattle, Dan in Billings, and Dennis in St. Louis). This trip has been very special. I hope you’ve all enjoyed the photographs and the blog entries. I definitely encourage everyone to come to South Africa. Carmin has done a fantastic job with the different itineraries (family or adult) so if you make it an Austin-Lehman trip, I have no doubt it will be an experience you will cherish and remember forever. I know I will, and I truly hope someday (in the not too distant future) to come back with my family to this country teaming with beauty, wilderness, and culture.

Sorry for the delay! After breakfast yesterday we went for a bush walk with our guide, Mike. He spotted animal paw prints in the dirt and taught us how to identify the animal from the different shapes of the prints. He also pointed out different plants that are edible (some have berries that can be eaten as they are or dried and eaten or even boiled into tea) to a flowering creeper whose leaves make great shampoo for hair as they are loaded with vitamin E. If I could remember half of what I saw, I think I would have a chance of surviving in the African wilderness! As we tread across the bush he picked up a large snail with a shell which looked so out of place away from the ocean but occurs in this part of world naturally. We came to a gigantic termite mound so we all climbed on top (me, Carmin, Dan, Mike and a guy from New York name Eric who was in our group) for a quick photo. There are so many termite mounds here and many of them, as one may expect, are around trees. I thought the termites built their nests around the trees for nourishment, but the story is quite the opposite. The termite mounds are nutrient and nitrogen rich, so trees actually grow from them and not the other way around!

When we returned from our walk we decided to visit each of the different Sabi Sabi properties for a survey. Little Bush Camp (where we are staying) and Bush Camp were my two favorites because of the rustic, laid back appeal. We had a wonderful lunch at Bush Camp before heading to see the last lodge and returning to ours just before high tea and our afternoon game drive. The lodge we’re staying in reflects the modern African safari style with lovely thatched roofs, spacious bathrooms, and great amenities. My absolute favorite thing about our lodge is the people. They are so cheerful, friendly and humorous. They can make a joke out of almost any situation and truly give the place a fun, comfortable feeling.

On our afternoon drive we headed straight for the Sabi River. It is incredibly wide and bone dry. Mike tells us that it usually gets flowing in March and continues throughout autumn. We saw lots of beautiful impalas and quite a few little babies nestled among the herd, safe from predators. They were so adorable and can jump incredibly high for their size! Hyenas seemed to be on the prowl as we saw two or three – one was even walking along the road with absolutely no regard for the looming vehicle!

As we drove quickly down the road in the darkness Mike hit the brakes. Something large and grey was blocking the road ahead of us. It turned out to be a massive elephant bum belonging to Frank. He’s been known to charge vehicles. Mike managed to shoo him away but as soon as he we drove passed him he let out a great trumpeting cry. I pictured him furiously stampeding us at any moment. Luckily, we were safe and continued onward.

Moments later we encountered the male lions from the morning drive, but this time they were on the prowl and not laying innocently beside the road. We followed them for quite some time. More than once Mike pulled the car in front of them, causing them to walk right passed us. I have to admit, it was a little bit frightening, especially when one would look right up at you as it passed. I huddle closely to Carmin for fear of a giant paw swatting me to my doom. Dan confided to being a little intimidated as well, though he continued to hold one of the cameras out of the vehicle to acquire photos of the beautiful animal as it walked by. We followed the animals into a large field where one laid down. Mike told us it wouldn’t be long before we got to hear what a real roar was like and that the television really didn’t do it justice. He wasn’t kidding! The lion’s roar was loud and deep, vibrating the floor boards beneath our feet. We were quite close to him and I began to worry that our presence was getting on his nerves. Mike informed us that he was merely announcing his presence and claiming his territory. I didn’t want to give him any reason to think we were challenging him so I admit I felt a bit relieved when we all drove away safely.

When we returned to the lodge we were bursting with excitement and browsing through photographs from our lion encounter. We showed both Etienne and Leanna (managers at the lodge) the photographs and video we’d managed to take. We had a nice dinner and went off to bed to prepare for the next morning.

We have settled down at Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp in Kruger, thus living the safari lifestyle. Since our schedule has changed so has my timing for updating the blog. We are on the hunt for animal sightings by 6 AM with downtime in the middle of the day (i.e. – blog and photo update time) followed by an afternoon safari and then dinner.

I am not a fan of traveling for long periods at a time because I often get motion sick. Yesterday we drove from Madikwe to Johannesburg with a brief stop to look at souvenirs and use the restroom facilities. I also grabbed some more souvenirs (wow, I feel like a broken record). By the time we arrived at our small charter jet terminal, I was not feeling my best. You can imagine how happy I was to discover that hors d’oeuvres, fruit, and drinks were waiting for us as well as a comfortable area to relax and wait for our flight. I have never flown on a plane that small! There were maybe 12 seats and I literally had to bend over at the waist to shuffle down the aisle. I really felt like we were going into the wild at that point! The plane encountered a small bit of turbulence during the flight and fluttered like a moth caught in a wind current but most of the time it was fine and the flight was only an hour long. I decided to take a nap and woke up at the perfect moment – just before we touched down in Sabi Sabi. The four of us (Carmin, Dennis, Dan and myself) were the only passengers to get off at this stop. The plane would be making two or three other stops before heading back to Johannesburg.

We were picked up from the landing strip by our guide for the next few days, Mike. He is such a character! Not only is he funny and enthusiastic (that is an understatement), you can really tell he loves what he is doing. His knowledge regarding plants, insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and stars is close to encyclopedic! I think we all find him absolutely mesmerizing. On the way to the lodge, we saw a hippo mostly submerged in a pond right off the little dirt road. He repeated a pattern of surfacing and sinking beneath the water. Every time he arose, he snorted from his large nostrils and spun his ears like little windmills. He was so cute! I am really glad we got to see a hippo. They’re such neat animals!

We came to our rooms which are quite lovely - large, comfortable, with a nice big bathroom, and AIR CONDITIONING (a rarity in the bush) and then had some quick tea before heading out on safari. What a brilliant experience. The land here is so pretty – green and open one moment and the next there are flowering trees and rocky beds. We drove very near a pack of white rhinos grazing and watched little birds light on the rhinos’ backs and heads and peak in their ears. Mike told us some incredibly interesting facts about the white rhinos, such as they can run up to 45 km/hour, drink 70 liters of water per day and eat 100 kg of grass. They have a 16 month gestation period and their calves suckle for four years!!! I guess we have it pretty good as humans. Despite their weight (a female can be 1.5 tons and a male 2.7 tons) they are very bouncy and light in appearance when they trotted away.

It wasn’t long after we left the rhinos that we came upon a beautiful leopard cub (approximately 1 year old) relaxing beneath a tree. She yawned, stretched, and decided to hunt impalas. We learned that leopards can run up to 90 km per hour and that they shave the fur off their kill, disembowel them, and drag the carcasses into trees to keep them away from other predators. It was amazing to follow the young leopardess on her hunt. She slowly snuck up a small hill and crouched low so as to be obscured by brush before carefully approaching the impalas. She had inched her way closer when, suddenly, a hyena darted out of nowhere! Hyenas prey on young cubs who cannot yet defend themselves. In a flash the leopard was up a tree. The hyena circled the tree for a bit before moving off. It was absolutely surreal to watch the reality of nature in action. As the sun lowered in the sky it cast golden light over the world. At that point, there was no more beautiful vision than the young leopardess balancing effortlessly in the tree, bathed in warm light and peering into the sunset. We watched her for a while longer before heading out for our sundowner. The sunset that evening was the most beautiful I’ve seen in months, painting the sky with pinks, reds, and blues against a soft, cloudy texture sky. It made the perfect backdrop for our sundowner.

On the way back to the lodge, Jerry (the tracker that rode with us, perched on a seat atop the hood of the land rover) spotted an owl in the tree. We were able to watch it swoop from limb to limb until it was too far away to see and too much in the thicket to pursue. Mike spotted a scorpion and hopped out of the vehicle. I swear, in that moment he was just like an excited kid that possessed uncanny knowledge. He described the scorpion to us as he nudged it with the toe of his boot. The scorpion responded with repeated lashes from his tail. Just before we arrived back at the lodge, we made one more stop. There was a chameleon hanging out in a tree, so Mike grabbed her and she crawled all the way to the top of his head. He said they always try to make it to the highest point. Dan, Carmin, and I took turns holding her and letting her climb all the way up our heads. When we arrived at the lodge, it was just about time for dinner. We were served butternut squash soup, kudu steak, and “chocolate pizza” before hitting the hay.

This morning I made it to the main lodge just in time to grab a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin for the road. Mike almost immediately found two male lions laying around, relaxing. Man they have massive heads! One was scarred from previous battles, though he was only around 4 years old. It was so neat to see their manes and the size of their paws. As we watched them resting tiny droplets of rain began to fall on us. It wasn’t long before we were enveloped in a full scale shower. We made it back to the lodge somewhat dry thanks to the ponchos that Mike had for us. We sat around conversing for a while, waiting for the rain to let up. It is now time for a full breakfast, so I am going to stop here and hurry off to join the others. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Here is a video we made of the lion cubs from Madikwe playing togther.

This entry will be brief as there is a thunder storm still rumbling overheard. I dislike logging things out of order, but this simply has to be mentioned first. We had our first elephant sighting today! It was more than a sighting, really, as the elephant couldn’t have been more than 30 feet from us and we were able to watch him for a while as he ate, urinated (hey – it is reality) and trampled over small trees and brush. What a great animal – both in size and appearance. Watching him was certainly the highlight of my day.

This morning I was once again awakened by coffee in my room. We had a quick breakfast and were out in the saddle again, riding our horses to view the sable antelope which are bred on the property. Helen (one of the property managers) is a specialist on the breeding process and the sable. She accompanied us and explained the endangered status of the animals as well as their behavior. I have to admit, though I was with three guides that are very experienced around these animals, it was still a little frightening to watch the dominant male sable thrash bushes and trees with his horns. He was not afraid of us at all. Often he approached us, threateningly, only abandoning his approach when our horses backed away.

We had brunch after our ride and bid a fond farewell to Ant’s Nest and the wonderful employees. A long, four hour drive and kilometer after kilometer of dirt roads led us to Madikwe Game Reserve and Jaci’s Lodge. We scarcely had time to view our rooms before afternoon tea was served and we were off on safari. We had a very productive afternoon. We spotted elephants more than once, zebra, kudu, blue wildebeest, and impala. We were also able to see wild dogs, which Carmin told me are perhaps the most rare animal to see in South Africa. They are really pretty too. Near the Madikwe landing strip, we observed a “journey” of giraffes. While we were there, a small chartered plane arrived on the runway causing a jackal to dart into the bush.

Our goal for the afternoon was to locate lions, in which we were definitely successful. Luckily, the mother killed a zebra close to the road and had dragged it behind a nearby tree. There were four cubs lying about and playing while the mother gnawed on the carcass. The sounds were some of the strangest, most memorable I’ve ever heard. There were spine tingling cracks as the powerful teeth of the mother lion obliterated the zebra’s bones and a deep, satisfied purring. Our wildlife guide, David, informed us that the lions are lighter colored than one might expect because, though they naturally occur in this area, their ancestors are from a dessert area of Africa.

We were able to continue with the African sundowner tradition before heading back to the lodge for dinner. What an enjoyable string we’ve had of great company and wonderful meals. We had a choice of lamb or chicken tonight and baked cheesecake for dessert. As we were eating our pre-dinner salads, a thunderstorm burst through the sky to pour down onto us, forcing our meal to move under cover. The rains continue even now, as we’re safely tucked into the cozy and rustic luxury of our private hut. Tomorrow we’re heading to Kruger Park for our final few days in South Africa.

This has been another exceptional day. I awoke at 6:30 to the sound of an employee of Ant’s Nest Lodge bringing coffee into my room. That’s my kind of wakeup call! I showered quickly and headed down to breakfast where our table had been set with a variety of freshly baked croissants, cereals, fruit, yogurt, and the old fashioned English breakfast of beans on toast- delicious!

Our morning activity was a horseback safari. You can get so much closer to animals on horseback than you can in a vehicle or by simply walking. Carmin explains that this is because the animals feel like you must be less of a threat if another animal trusts you. I can only describe our horseback safari experience as magical. Ant (the owner) guided us through the property which is over 50,000 acres. We came upon a gathering of giraffe and followed them for quite some time. Ant helped us flush them out of the trees into a clearing so we could view them better. At one point, we were literally sitting in the middle of an open field with zebra to one side of us and giraffe to another. It was incredible! Not only were we seeing and experiencing these animals in their natural environment, but we were almost a part of their herd. It was great to watch the giraffes run. They’re so graceful, which is in direct opposition to what I would have thought they’d look like when running. After a few hours we spotted a herd of eland before Peter radioed Ant, telling him he’d just seen white rhinos about one kilometer from where we were. It wasn’t long before our horses were standing in front of the massive, horned animals. My goodness, they were amazing. Their horns are actually made of fibrous hair! I love the way these animals look because they’re so otherworldly – they have massive bodies and smaller feet (in comparison) plus their ears are shaped just like tulips. We were able to approach them both on our horses and on foot. Dan even dared to get in front of the rest of us to snap some photographs while Carmin and I followed Peter – one of our guides (with his Jack Russell Terrier, Josh, always at his side).

After we spent a while watching the rhinos we were whisked away by jeep to a hilltop lunch with a spectacular northerly view. Thunderheads were moving in so Ant radioed the lodge to bring a covered vehicle. Our lunch was delicious! We ate baked potatoes, pork chops and eland sausage – all cooked on a bbq (or as they say it in South Africa – a brie) over an open flame. The wind grew fierce and before long the storm had reached us, large drops of water struck as we quickly put the dishes away and headed for the lodge. What a gorgeous site it was – rain falling over the rolling green hills, the bright blue pool below erupting in a visual symphony of rainfall splashing onto the surface.

We were all free to do our own thing for the next three hours. I took the opportunity to relax in my room’s enormous tub which I filled with bath salts and bubbles. By 4 PM the rain had subsided and we all met for tea and sweet bread before heading out on our evening jeep safari. It wasn’t long before we’d spotted giraffes again. Carmin was on her mountain bike pursuing them when Ant radioed to make us aware he’d spotted rhino, so we headed out to meet him. Both Dan and Carmin hopped on bicycles this time and Dennis got some truly lovely shots of my traveling companions with those massive grey beasts.

Helen, Peter, and Ant drove us to the same area we’d been the evening before to watch the sunset and have a drink. In South Africa, a “sun downer” is a drink taken at the time the sun sets in the evening. Tonight it was made even more special because some giraffe crept from the surrounding bush toward the clearing where we were sitting. It was a lovely evening but not yet over. The air had gotten quite chill from the rain, so we wrapped ourselves in blankets or pulled on our jackets on the way back to the lodge. Upon arriving, I discovered that the fireplace inside my suite was blazing and dinner was nearly ready to be served. We all gathered outdoors with Ant and Tessa (his wife, co-owner, and decorator extraordinaire) who joined us for wine around a bonfire they’d built and a delicious dinner in a private area of the lodge. It was fantastic as we had lamb, creamy scalloped potatoes, and cheesecake, all accompanied by South African wine and delightful conversation.

Our morning tomorrow begins with a horseback ride to see sable antelope, which are bred on this property followed by brunch before we head to our next safari adventure a short (2 or so hour) drive away.

There are not words enough to describe the perfection of this afternoon. Today we traveled from our hotel in Stellenbosch to Ant’s Nest lodge in the Waterberg. We flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg and were picked up by our driver, Tefo, to continue the rest of the way in a van.

During the drive we had a very interesting conversation regarding HIV and AIDs in Africa. Growing up, what I largely remember about Africa is the AIDs problem and how terrified I was of it. I had to know whether or not it was something that also concerned Carmin, as she grew up in South Africa. She said it absolutely had been something that scared her! From our conversation I discovered that all of Africa suffers from the HIV and AIDs problem and that it was particularly prevalent along the trucking routes through the continent. Many African cultures regarded wearing a condom as emasculating for men and the idea of discussing HIV as taboo, which made the infection spread much more quickly. Tefo told us that there is a newspaper writer and a radio host that both are open about their HIV infection and encourage discourse regarding the issue. Also, it is required that you be blood tested before you get a job and every two years thereafter.

After driving for around four hours, we arrived at Ant’s Nest. Carmin has found us the most amazing place to stay. I am blown away by the rustic magnificence and tranquility of the lodge. Our hosts, lodge managers Peter and Helen, are very welcoming and engaging. As soon as we arrived we discovered that Carmin had reserved the entire place for us as it is rented on an exclusive basis. I felt like I was in a reality TV show for a moment because we were sent to look at all the different rooms – everyone had to pick one. Dan and Dennis’s rooms were chosen quickly, and Carmin told me to pick whichever room I wanted. I wound up with an amazing suite! All of the rooms here have thatched roofs that smell wonderful like sweet hay. The attention to detail in decorating is incredible. Dennis asked about the room décor and we were told that Tessa (one of the owners) decorated them in a Kenya theme as she is from there. I kept pacing from living room to bedroom to bathroom completely speechless.

Upon our arrival we’d decided to go on an excursion in the jeep to view animals. After tea and chocolate cake, we headed out and it was not long at all before we had our first sighting – a cluster of zebras. They’re so beautiful! We all thought they were posing for Dennis. I think they may be my favorite safari animal so far. We also spotted impala (much smaller than I imagined), warthog, blue wildebeest and kudu on the drive. Everyone kept having to shoosh me! It was so exciting to see these animals in their natural habitat. We are also lucky to have arrived after the first heavy rains of the season so the grass is young and bright green. Impalas have the ability to become pregnant but not give birth right away – holding their babies inside themselves until conditions are just right. Due to the abundance of grass after the long dry season, the impala just started giving birth, so there are tons of little ones running around! As we drove along, despite the fact that Dan taught me what to look for in animal spotting, I was busy staring far into the distance at the beautiful green, tree-covered hills and blue sky with sparse puffy white clouds when I heard Carmin telling us there was something on our left. Three incredibly tall giraffe heads extended over the trees and bushes where they had been eating. I felt so oblivious for not even noticing them at first. They were so remarkable! There were two females (“cows”) and one male (a “bull”). We hopped out of the jeep at Peter’s suggestion and tried to get a little closer. It wasn’t long before they ran away at full speed but even that was a lovely sight.

The sun was getting low in the sky, and as we rounded a bend and came into a clearing, I noticed lawn chairs set up for all of us, including a table with drinks and snacks. We were able to watch the sunset and relax with a gin and tonic. Carmin said Gin and tonics are the quintessential old-time African drink because the gin contains quinine which drives mosquitoes away.

Dinner this evening was served outside at the lodge. The star filled sky, unpolluted by city lights, was our backdrop. Midway through dinner our hosts heard snorting from beyond the courtyard. Four white rhinos had wandered over and were pulling up the grass to eat. It was so unreal! We were so close to them we could clearly see their heavily textured skin and big, jutting horns! Dinner was absolutely delicious as well – stuffed peppers as an appetizer, beef fillet with chunky fried potatoes and sweet beans as the main course, and a chocolate torte with ice cream and raspberry sauce. Everything was complemented by a cabernet sauvignon/shiraz blend from the Stellenbosch wine region we’d visited the day before. I am so looking forward to another day at the Ant’s Nest. Tomorrow morning we’re heading out on horseback to see more animals!